A timeless classic that has been loved for generations, BAMBI now joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection in this celebrated anniversary edition.

In this life-changing adventure, Bambi sets off with his best friends Thumper and Flower to explore the wonders and challenges of the woods – and fulfill his destiny as prince of the forest. Full of humor and heart, and featuring awe-inspiring animation, BAMBI remains a family favorite – now on Digital HD with new behind-the-scenes special features.

The beloved and unforgettable Disney animated masterpiece ‘Bambi’ returns home once again to celebrate its 75th Anniversary as part of the ongoing Walt Disney Signature Collection. This timeless tale still holds up in nearly every possible way and takes viewers on an emotional ride with the title character through childhood (and beyond) and his memorable experiences with friendship, the wonders of the woods, tragic loss and much more as he (often accompanied by his faithful best friends Thumper and Flower) embarks upon the path to his destiny as a young Prince of the forest. A beautiful piece of filmmaking and another noteworthy animated feature from Disney’s massive library of masterpieces, ‘Bambi’ has once again returned home in order to share his adventures with another new generation.

The new 75th Anniversary Blu-ray release of ‘Bambi’ comes home this time as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection for a new generation to experience for the first time and others to revisit once again (or just take advantage of if they missed out on the last release). This new Signature Collection Blu-ray release seems to feature the same high definition video and audio presentations as the previous BD release of the film, yet fans can rest assured that both are more than competent and shouldn’t disappoint. Likely most important of all, this new edition of ‘Bambi’ also follows the trend set by the previously released entries in Disney’s Signature Collection lineup and offers a number of brand new bonus features exclusive to this release as well as many Classic extras carried over from prior editions of the movie (more detailed information regarding the bonus content can be found in the special features section of the technical specification coverage below). For Disney fans who don’t already own ‘Bambi’ on Blu-ray, this new edition will almost surely make a definite must own, yet those who own the previous edition on Blu-ray will want to make certain that the new extras included are worth coughing up the cash for another release; unless of course you’re a fan intent on simply collecting every Disney release in which case you’ll also definitely want to grab a copy of this new Anniversary Edition which marks the worthy addition of ‘Bambi’ to The Signature Collection lineup.

Overall, fellow Disney fans who don’t already own the film on Blu-ray will definitely want to make sure to pick up a copy of this solid new 75th Anniversary Signature Collection release of ‘Bambi’ before it’s once again too late to do so. The release offers quite fantastic high definition video and audio presentations in addition to a pretty decent helping of supplemental material including some brand new extras along with classic bonus elements from previous releases. The Disney fans on the other hand who already own ‘Bambi‘ on Blu-ray from a previous release may also be interested in this new edition, although it will almost certainly come down to just how much the new extras justify the double dip for each individual. Nonetheless, this release in itself is quite great as a whole and should certainly make a fantastic addition to any Disney fan’s shelf.

VIDEO:

The 75th Anniversary Signature Collection Blu-ray release of ‘Bambi’ features a full 1080p High Definition presentation utilizing a 1.33:1 4X3 Aspect Ratio (the ‘Original Theatrical Version’ as it’s listed in the ‘Play Movie Menu’). The release also offers the option of 2 additional ways to view the film, either via a ‘DisneyView’ presentation which fills in the black spaces on the left and right of the screen with original artwork, and an option titled ‘Inside Walt’s Story Meetings: Extended Edition’ which features an in depth behind the scenes look at the creation process accompanying the film and runs approximately 26 minutes longer than the regular movie. I personally opted for watching the film primarily via the ‘Original Theatrical Edition’ and that video presentation (along with what I scanned through of the others) looks quite wonderful and provides a gorgeous, detailed and brightly lit presentation that definitely does the animated classic justice; suffering no notable faults at any point throughout. Overall, this is a fantastic high definition video presentation from Disney that’s complimented by a more than sufficient bitrate and shouldn’t disappoint.

AUDIO:

The Signature Collection Blu-ray release features a lossless 7.1 channel DTS-HD High Resolution soundtrack this time around as opposed to the more common DTS-HD MA option, which likely means the audio presentation is taken from the film’s previous Blu-ray release. Also included is the option of a ‘Restored Original Soundtrack’. As per usual I went with the 7.1 channel DTS-HD HR soundtrack which offers a crisp, clean and surprisingly immersive audio experience throughout. It primarily takes advantage of all seven available channels in order to surround the viewer with the memorable music, yet it also gets a bit aggressive at times such as sending thunder and other louder elements crashing throughout the various speakers when fitting, and never conflicting with any other auditory elements that may be occurring simultaneously. Overall, this is an enjoyable and highly competent 7.1 channel DTS-HD HR soundtrack that compliments that film splendidly and adds even more fun to the experience.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 75th Anniversary Signature Collection Blu-ray release of ‘Bambi’ includes a number of enjoyable bonus features, including a number of brand-new extras as well as many classic extras from previous editions. Included on the release is ‘Studio Stories: Bambi’ which features archival Walt Disney recordings regarding the film (running approximately 5 minutes in length), in addition to a couple of new ‘Deleted Scenes with Intros by Animator Floyd Norman’ (running approximately 7 minutes combined), plus the animated short film ‘Oswald The Lucky Rabbit: “Africa Before Dark”’ (approximately 6 minutes), along with ‘The Bambi Effect’ (3 minutes), and some fun ‘Bambi Fawn Facts’ for the little ones (4 minutes). We are also treated to a collection of ‘Classic Bonus’ collecting supplements from previous releases and including: a few ‘Classic Deleted Scenes with Introductions’ (approximately 6 minutes combined), the ‘Deleted Song: “Twitterpated”’ (2 minutes), ‘The Making of Bambi: A Prince Is Born’ (53 minutes), a ‘Tricks of our Trade’ Excerpt (7 minutes), ‘Inside the Disney Archives’ (9 minutes), ‘The Golden Age’ (6 minutes), ‘The Old Mill: Animated Short’ (9 minutes), and the ‘Original Theatrical Trailer’ for the movie (2 minutes).

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray and resized. They additionally will suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

Disc Rating: 8.5/10

Disney’s ‘Bambi: Anniversary Edition’ Comes Home On Blu-ray & DVD June 6, 2017 as part of The Signature Collection from Walt Disney Home Entertainment